ZANESVILLE - When Mike Kline came to Zanesville 1965, he didn't know it would become his home.

Kline came to Zanesville and was the first full-time faculty member at the Ohio University Zanesville campus. However, he encountered a couple surprises upon his arrival.

"I didn't realize I was the first full-time person there," Kline said. "I drove up and asked where the building was and they told me there was no building and I'd be teaching at the high school."

The first year in Zanesville didn't go smoothly for Kline, who grew up in Dayton. He, with two other part-time employees, were in charge of registration and teaching about 800 people.

For about three years, Kline would teach classes at night at Zanesville High School, including during football Friday nights where he would find his car wrapped in toilet paper when he was ready to go home.

The first year was also painful for the students, according to Kline.

"The first year was painful because the kids were unhappy," Kline said. "I was evidently harder than they were used to."

The first courses Kline taught were Western civilization, government and American history. He taught more than a dozen different history courses throughout his years with the university.

"I love to tell stories and that's why I love history," Kline said. "I wanted them to realize history is more than dates."

When Kline came to OUZ, it was his first teaching job after doing his undergrad at the University of Dayton and getting his master's degree at Ohio University.

He expected to remain in Zanesville for a couple of years but he quickly fell in love with the community. Kline, who considers himself an idealist, thought he could make a difference in the community and in the lives of his students.

As a young professor, Kline expected a lot from his students. However, Kline said many students lacked maturity and the first thing he had to learn as a professor was to accept failure.

Kline didn't want to see his students fail. He wanted his students to not accept being average. He didn't want to handout grades, he wanted the students to earn them. In order to help the students succeed, Kline created a class to teach students how to study.

He created countless memories with students, many of which still interact with him on Facebook. But there is one student Kline will never forget.

He was teaching Ohio history and each student had to do a local history project. On the last day of class, one student hadn't turned in her project about Indian mounds and Kline asked where it was.

"She said it was in her truck and she'd go get it," Kline said. "She had a pile of dirt in her truck and said it was an Indian mound. That was so funny, that pile of dirt."

Kline spent 47 years with the university. He retired in 2007 but he came back and taught his last class in 2011.

"I had the best job in the world. I loved every minute of it," Kline said. "OUZ is the best kept secret in town."

OUZ will forever hold a special place in his heart. It's where he met his wife, Stephanie, and where his two children started their education.

"It was a wonderful experience," Kline said. "I think OUZ is an excellent place for kids to start their college careers because classes are small and the faculty are good mentors."

hkull@gannett.com

740-450-6772

Twitter: @haydenkull5

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A brick marking Michael Kline's career at Ohio University's Zanesville Campus on the mantle of Kline's home.(Photo: Chris Crook/Times Recorder)